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(No Model.)

L. W. TRACY.

ELBVATOR.

No. 245,616. Patentd Aug. 16,1881.

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.UNITED STATES PATENT @Trice LEWIS W. TRACY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF T() JAMES E. GRANNIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,676, dated August 16, 1881.

Application filed March 18, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWIS W. TRACY, of Philadelphia, county ot' Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the safety-catches otl elevators, and has for its object to enable the same to be operated by the attendant to stop the elevator at any point, irrespective of the usual devices designed to actuate the catches automatically when the rope breaks. It sometimes happens that some part of the hoisting machinery gives way, while the rope or chain remains intact, thereby allowing the elevator to fall with damaging effect, the tension on the rope or chain being sutiicient to prevent the draw-bar, to which itis attached, from being operated by its spring to thro w the safetycatches out into the rack-bars or other device, secured to thexed guide-posts ofthe elevator. From such cause, or from the safety device becoming inoperative, when the rope or chain breaks, from long disuse, accidents may be avoided bythe use of my invention, which consists ot' a hand-lever, within easy reach of the attendant, connected to the links which conneet the draw-bar to the safety-catches. Said links, instead of being fastened to the drawbar by iiXed pivots, are pivoted in slots in the draw-bar, so that when thehand-lever is pulled down the safety-catches are moved out toengage the rack-bars or other devices attached to the fixed guide-post without necessitating any movement ot' the drawbar, thereby cnablin g the attendant to instantly stop the elevater-car should it at any time, either from a break ofthe machinery or an excessive load, acquire a dangerous downward speed. A spring or weighted latch is provided to lock the hand -lever when the safety catches are thrown out.

To describe my invention more particularly, I will refer to the accompanying drawings, 45 forming part ofvthis specification, in which- Figure l is an elevation of an elevator provided with my invention, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse section ofthe upper part of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in 5o section, and Fig. 4 shows a modiiication.

In the'drawings'an ordinary freigh t-elevator car, a, is shown, sliding between the guideposts b b, which are provided with the ratchettooth racks c c. In the head a' ot' the car is iitted the draw-bar d, provided with the spring c, and attached to the ropefin the ordinary manner. The safety-catches g g are fitted to slide in the head a'. On their outer ends are formed two or more teeth, adapted to iit in the teeth ot' rack-bars c c when the slides are 6o moved outward. To the inner ends ot' these safety catches g g are pivoted the links h It, which are connected to the draw-bar d by the bolts t' i, passing through them and through longitudinal slots formed in the draw bar. 65 These bolts t' t' also connect the plate j to the' links h h, and tothe platen? is pivoted the handlever 7u, which hasits fulcrnm at k in the head a of the car, and the handle k2 projects downwardly in the car, within easy reach of the at- 7o tendant. In the head a is also pivoted the weighted latch or pawl l, so constructed and located that when the lever lc is depressed the pawl Z falls over the top ot'it and holds it down.

1t is ohviousthat this pawl Z may be actuated 75 by a spring instead of being weighted.

The spring m holds up the hand-lever 7c and keeps the bolts i i against lhe upper ends ot' the longitudinal slots in the draw-bar d when the parts are in their normal positions, so that 8o the catches g g may be moved out to engage in the rackbars c c in the ordinary manner by the resilience of the spring e should the rope fbreak, in which ease the pawl L will fall over the top of theleveraud hold the safety-catches in the rack-bars.

The modification shown in Fig. 4 consists in providing the latch or pawl Z with a handle,

Z', and making the lever k without a handle,

so that the safety-catches may be moved out 9o by operating the handle l to turn the latch (which may be cam-shaped) down onto the lever k, in which position it is shown in the drawings.

It is evident from the foregoing that by depressing the lever 7c, by actuating its handle 7a2 or the handle l ofthe latch Z, the bolts t t' will be moved down the longitudinal slots in the draw-bar d, and the safety-catches moved out to engage in the rack-bars c c, while the roi draw-bar d remains in its normal position.

The drawings show myimprovement in safety-catches for elevators as applied to freightelevators of ordinary construction. It is obvious that the principle involved in the saine may be practically applied to any form of elevator which is provided with a draw bar adapted to slide in the head of the elevator, by means substantially as above described.

Having now described myinvention, What I claim7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination ofa hand-leverwith the one set of safety-catches of an elevator7 and means for connecting the safety-catches to the draw-bar by which they are operated when the tension is removed from the hoistingrope, and at the same time free to be operated by the hand-lever when the draw-baris in its normal position, substantially as and for the purpose Yhereinbet'ore set forth.

2. In an elevator safety device, in combination, a spring-acting draw-bar provided with longitudinal slots, safety catches itted in guides at right angles to the draw bar, connecting-links pivoted at one endon boltsiitted in the longitudinal slots ofthe draw-bar, and

at their other ends to the inner ends of the safety-catches, and a hand-lever connected to the links and provided With a spring, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbet'ore set forth.

3. In an elevator safety device, in combination, a springacting draw-bar provided with longitudinal slots, safety catches itted in guides at right angles to the draw-bar, connecting-links pivoted at one en d on bolts fitted in the longitudinal slots of the draw-bar, and at their other ends to the inner ends of the safety-catches, a hand-lever connected to the links and provided Witha spring, and aweighted or spring-acting pawl adapted to hold the hand-lever down when depressed, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of March, A. D. 1881.

LEWIS IV. TRACY.

Witnesses:

ALFRED SHEDLOCK, H. D. WILLIAMS. 

